Hu Makes China's Debut at G-8 Event

Published 8:00 pm, Wednesday, May 28, 2003

It's a richly symbolic event for China, a sign of its growing economic and political status: President Hu Jintao meeting President Bush and other G-8 leaders during their summit in France.

Chinese officials dismiss suggestions that Beijing might want to join the Group of Eight, the club of major economies and Russia. But their interest in the group is plain, highlighted by Hu's decision to make the debut visit by a Chinese leader to a G-8 event as part of his first foreign trip since taking office in March.

"I think China is interested in joining," said Jia Qingguo of the School of International Studies at Peking University. "China is a more and more active member of the international community … and the G-8 stands for prestige."

If the G-8 decided to expand _ a step that no member has publicly suggested taking _ China might be a natural candidate.

Its economy dwarfs those of G-8 members Italy and Canada, and nuclear-armed Beijing is the only permanent member of the U.N. Security Council that isn't in the group. Easing its long resistance to taking on foreign obligations, China is stepping up its role in U.N. peacekeeping and other global chores.

"If you want to deal with world economic issues, you have to deal with China," Jia said.

But its differences with G-8 members are nearly as stark. Unlike Russia, which joined after abandoning communism, China is still a secretive, one-party system. Despite exports in 2002 of $325 billion and its 2-year-old membership in the World Trade Organization, it is the most isolated major economy.

And China's people are far poorer, with an average annual income of $700 _ about what the average American makes in a week.

Officials here stress such facts as they try to play down expectations. They say that even considering Beijing as a member would require the group _ which also includes Japan, Britain, Germany and France _ to rethink its role as a global elite.

"China is a developing country and the G-8 is a group of developed countries," Vice Foreign Minister Liu Guchang said when asked whether China wanted to join. "In terms of the level of development, China is not qualified for membership in the G-8."

Nevertheless, Liu said, China follows the G-8 closely because it plays a "very important role in today's world."

Hu isn't taking part in the G-8 meeting that begins Sunday in the Alpine town of Evian. Instead, he was invited by French President Jacques Chirac to attend a development conference that coincides with its opening day. Chirac also invited leaders of 12 other countries, including Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.

Hu, still largely unknown abroad, is on a multination tour with other stops in Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan.

His status at the Evian meeting will be below that of Russia in 1997, when then-President Boris Yeltsin was invited to a G-8 summit _ a step that later led to membership.

Even if Hu's government wants the prestige of G-8 membership, the time and energy that it can spare for trade and foreign economic issues will be focused for some time on pushing through reforms required by WTO commitments to open its markets, said Li Kui Wai, an economist at the City University of Hong Kong.

"China is likely to try to play a regional role first before trying to join the G-8," Li said.

And since membership doesn't promise practical benefits, Beijing is unlikely to pursue any status that might impose new obligations, said Jia of Peking University.

"China is not going to make a lot of efforts just to join," he said. "China has lived without the G-8 for more than a decade, and can go on without it."